Some Tesla Model Y owners can now increase the range of their cars for about $33 per mile.
The all-electric automaker is now selling a software update that will increase the range of some Model Y SUVs. The “energy boost” update works only on some Model Y rear-wheel drive (RWD) vehicles.
Some owners have reported receiving offers for an “energy boost” package adding “an additional estimated 30 miles” for $1,000. Others have seen a similar offer promising up to 50 miles for $1,600.
Tesla doesn’t sell its cars in distinct model years. Instead, the company changes parts and features on the fly. A Model Y bought one day can carry different components than a seemingly identical Model Y bought another day.
That makes it difficult to pin down the Model Y RWD’s exact range, which has changed regularly over the past several years. Telsa currently doesn’t sell the Model Y Standard Range RWD trim level.
When the company added a new Model Y Long Range RWD to its lineup in May, CEO Elon Musk promised range upgrades were coming for older cars. The company no longer discloses battery capacities, so owners may not have known their cars had extra battery storage not accessible without a fee.
Not all owners received the news well. At press time, many of the comments on Tesla’s X post announcing the sale were responses from owners angry to discover that the company had sold the cars with their range limited by software.
Electrek explained, “It feels scummy to know that you bought an object that has been artificially hobbled by the manufacturer and that you need to pay them for the privilege of using the full capabilities of the thing that you already paid them for.”
